READING WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE...SERIOUSLY:)

Ms. Valvano completed the 40 book challenge for the second year in a row...Hold your applause!!!  We challenge all of our middle school students to read 40 books over the course of the school year. I decided to give up my romance novels and self-help books and dive into the world of juvenile literature.  It has been a blast talking to my students about what they are reading.  If you are a parent having a difficult time connecting with your teenager, I STRONGLY suggest reading together.  We are not going to learn about the thoughts and feelings of our youngsters by following their facebook or instagram.  There are also personal benefits to reading the dystopian novels that are all the craze. 

If there is ever a shortage of food and I have to serve as a tribute from my district in a fight to the death...I know how to survive.  Perhaps a virus has been released into the world killing everyone, but a few brave individuals must fight the Republic and save the world...no problem for me.  Aliens, werewolves, factions, rejects, witches...nothing it outside my realm of expertise.  The excitement I have seen in the eyes of my students has reignited my passion for reading.  This week, however, I received further confirmation that books do more than entertain...they can and will change our lives.

 I recently gave my younger sister LeeAnn a book written by her former Pastor Tim Keller.  The book beautifully illustrates the biblical meaning of marriage.  Lee and her husband Beau have a 2 year old and a little girl on the way.  I know what it is like to be caught up in those sleep deprived, potty training, cheerio eating years.  She called me a few nights ago in tears.  She started reading the book and wanted me to know it had made her rethink how she had been viewing her marriage.  She gushed about wisdom she had gained and how she wanted to share them with her husband.  LeeAnn is currently working full time, going to graduate school, raising a toddler, and 7 months pregnant.  Tired and overwhelmed don't begin to capture her life, but the words in a book had touched her spirit.

I packed the pool bag and decided I needed something to read.  I stumbled upon a book that my friend Lisa had given me for my birthday.  As I cracked open, Carry on Warrior, written by Glennon Doyle Melton, I could never have imagined what was about to happen to me.  I have been struggling with the desire to write a book for years, and these words rocked my world...

If, anywhere in your soul, you feel the desire to write, please write.  Write as a gift to yourself and others.  Everyone has a story to tell.  Writing is not about creating tidy paragraphs that sound lovely or choosing the "right" words.  It's about noticing who you are and noticing life and sharing what you notice.  When you write your truth, it is a love offering to the world because it helps us feel braver and less alone.

In an instant, sitting by the pool on an average summer day, this author had taken a match to the fire that had been dormant inside of me for years.  Because of those words I read, I cannot stop thinking about what I want to write...when I will have time to write...and what I am going to write.  She gave me permission to attack my passion without thought to the end result.  Writing is a gift I will give myself as I allow the truth to heal my soul. 

Whether you are seeking a way to connect with your child, a renewed commitment to your marriage, an escape from reality, or permission to follow your dreams... a book can meet those needs and so much more.  Books give you glimpses into lives once lived, adventures yet to come, and personal emotions never spoken.  Put down the phone, turn off the television, forget to post what you are doing every second of the day...and lose and find yourself again in the words written by another.